Ukraine news latest: Vladimir Putin’s humiliation as Russian troops ‘pull out’ of Lyman after ‘threat of encirclement’

Ukraine flag seen waving in Lyman

Ukraine's Ministry of Defence have also uploaded a video to Twitter showing forces lifting the Ukrainian flag in Lyman with the caption "Ukrainian Air Assault Forces are entering Lyman, Donetsk region."

There are also some claims from Russian's "admitting" that they have already lost the control of Lyman.

Some Russian military commentators have posted messages on their Telegram channels saying that the Ukrainian army have either "already captured or, at a minimum, entered Lyman" according to reports.

Ukrainian forces enter Lyman according to Ukrainian spokesperson

Serhii Cherevatyi has said on TV that Ukrainian forces have entered the eastern town of Lyman.

The spokesperson has confirmed the news after it was recently announced that Ukrainian troops had surrounded the town.

Russia faces heavy losses

Russian forces have lost a further 530 troops according to Ukraine's Ministry of Defence.

This has taken the total losses to 59,610 for the Russian army.

There was also a further 18 vehicles and fuel tanks eliminated.

Russian authorities asked about Ukrainian nuclear plant head by UN watchdog

The International Atomic Energy Agency has stated it wants information about the director-general of Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant whom was detained by a Russian patrol, reports Al-Jazeera.

“We have contacted Russian authorities and are requesting clarifications,” a spokesperson for the IAEA, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, said in response to a query.

Footage of Ukrainian troops raising flag in Lyman

Ukraine's troops raised the blue and yellow flag above the Lyman entrance sign on the outskirts of the city.

Kyiv’s armed forces are currently battling Russian soldiers for control over the strategically important eastern Ukrainian town.

Ukrainian troops close to taking back Lyman

Ukrainian forces have encircled Russia’s army around the strategically important eastern town of Lyman, a Ukrainian spokesperson said on Saturday.

Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine’s eastern forces, said: “Lyman is important because it is the next step towards the liberation of the Ukrainian Donbas. It is an opportunity to go further to Kreminna and Sievierodonetsk, and it is psychologically very important.”

‘We may be facing a nuclear apocalypse’, claims Ukrainian commentator

Ukrainian citizens fear Russia may launch a nuclear strike against their country, Kyiv resident Oksana Koshel told Sky News’ Ukraine War Diaries.

There are fears the war is about to enter a new phase following Moscow’s decision to annex four regions in Ukraine.

"Over these past couple of days, talks of a nuclear danger have gone up to unprecedented levels," explains Oksana in the latest edition of the Sky News Ukraine War Diaries podcast.

"So, different information sources are publishing instructions on what to do and how to behave - it seems unthinkable that we might be facing like a nuclear apocalypse in the coming days, months or even years to come.

"It’s just unfathomable."

UK accuses Russia of killing its own citizens

Russia’s expansion strategy has caused Moscow to kill “civilians it now claims are its own citizens,” according to the UK’s Ministry of Defence.

The government department said Moscow is expending “strategically valuable military assets” in attempts to gain tactical advantage.

World Bank will provide $530m in support to Ukraine

The World Bank has said it will provide $530m in support to Ukraine, bringing the total aid by the institution to $13bn.

According to Guardian Online, the UK will provide $500m and Denmark will add $30m.

US will not be intimidated by reckless Putin, claims Biden

The United States will not be intimidated by reckless threats after Vladimir Putin annexed four regions in Ukraine, claims US President Joe Biden.

"America and its allies are not going to be intimidated," President Biden said at the White House, according to the BBC.

"America's fully prepared, with our Nato allies, to defend every single inch of Nato territory," he said, in reference to the Western security bloc.

"Mr Putin, don't misunderstand what I'm saying: every inch."

Body language expert is worried about Putin’s ‘squirming & spasming’

Vladimir Putin appeared “nervous and isolated” as he announced his illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine, according to a body language expert.

He "squirmed and spasmed", revealing his "uncharacteristic, underlying nervousness" , argues Judi James.

She added: "It is usually Putin’s stillness that makes his delivery so chilling, along with his cold, direct, challenging eye-stares, but neither were present for this speech, which could be the most important of his career and his life.

"Putin today was a man with what would commonly be called ‘ants in his pants’, a leader whose body squirmed as he rocked from one foot to another, and a man whose facial muscles squirmed too, to suggest conflicting emotions plus some almost uncontrollable-looking micro-spasms.

"He began in a more signature style, fixing his audience with his eyes and using a cocky-looking shoulder-roll to suggest an alpha presence.”

Click here to read more.

Vladimir Putin issued stark nuclear war warning by NATO chief

Russia has been issued a stark nuclear war warning by NATO in what appears to be the most frightening part of this war so far.

NATO chief Jans Stoltenberg said Putin has brought the world on the verge of nuclear Armageddon.

"Putin has mobilised hundreds of thousands of more troops, engaged in irresponsible nuclear sabre rattling and now illegally annexed more Ukrainian territory," Stoltenberg said in a press conference.

"Together, this represents the most serious escalation since the start of the war.

"NATO reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Click here to read more.

Liberated Ukrainian town reveals bodies of 436 innocents murdered in cold blood by Russians

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has devastated the town of Izyum in particular.

A burial site gave up 436 bodies last week, with Ukrainian officials suggesting these people were tortured and murdered.

They added that the civilians had gunshot wounds and ropes bound round their hands.

Social worker Tetyana Sterkhova, 60, says of the Russians: “They were like animals, nothing like human beings.”

Click here to read more.

Putin could be gone in three months, claims dictator’s former prime minister

Vladimir Putin’s former prime minister claims he could be gone in three months, regardless of his nuclear threats.

His grip on power is being jeopardised by “factors growing simultaneously”, Mikhail Kasyanov said.

"I don't think there is anyone in the circle of Putin who can make him leave," Kasyanov said.

"Mr Putin himself should come to this understanding. I think three factors growing simultaneously could lead Mr Putin to such a decision to somehow escape."

Click here to read more.

Russia ‘could wage war in space’, head of the Armed Forces warns

The head of Britain’s Armed Forces has warned Vladimir Putin could launch a devastating attack from space.

Russia could attack GPS and communication satellites, cutting the UK off from the rest of the planet, said Admiral Sir Tony Radakin.

He added that a three-pronged attack using nuclear weapons and his sabotage submarines could defeat the West.

"It has capabilities in space. We saw an example of that at the tail end of last year, when Russia exploded an object in space which created immense debris," Sir Tony said.

Click here to read more.

Boris Johnson brands Putin a ‘fraud and a disgrace’

The former PM took to Twitter to slam Putin’s decision to annex 15% of Ukraine yesterday.

“Vladimir Putin your speech is a fraud and a disgrace,” he said.

“The world must never accept your sham referendums or your cruel and illegal attempt to colonise Ukraine. We stand with the people of Ukraine and will support them without flinching until their country is whole and free.”

Annexation changes ‘nothing’, Ukrainian official says

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has dismissed yesterday's annexation, claiming it changes “nothing.”

“By attempting to annex Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, Putin tries to grab territories he doesn’t even physically control on the ground,” Dmytro Kuleba said.

“Nothing changes for Ukraine: we continue liberating our land and our people, restoring our territorial integrity.”

Russian annexation branded a ‘farce’

Anthony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, has branded yesterday's annexations a “farce” and stated “no one is fooled” by the show in Moscow on Friday.

“No one is fooled by what Moscow has done,” he said.

“The entire process around these sham referenda was a complete farce. This territory is and will remain Ukraine, and Ukraine has every right to defend its land, to defend its people and to take back the territory that Russia has seized from it.”

Russia running low on medical supplies, MoD reports

The Ministry of Defence has provided Brits with a look into the battlefield details of the war in Ukraine.

The statement reads: “Medical provision for Russian combat troops in Ukraine is probably growing worse. Some newly mobilised Russian reservists have been ordered to source their own combat first aid supplies, with the advice that female sanitary products are a cost-effective solution.

“Medical training and first-aid awareness is likely poor. Some Russia troops have obtained their own modern, Western-style combat torniquets but have stowed them on their equipment using cable-ties, rather than with the Velcro provided – probably because such equipment is scarce and liable to be pilfered.

“This is almost certain to hamper or render impossible the timely application of torniquet care in the case of catastrophic bleeding on the battlefield.

“Russian troops’ lack of confidence in sufficient medical provision is almost certainly contributing to a declining state of morale and a lack of willingness to undertake offensive operations in many units in Ukraine.”

Putin takes aim at the west in annexation speech

Putin pinned the blame for the war in Ukraine on the west yesterday, as he announced the formal annexation of four Ukrainian territories.

“The destruction of this Western hegemony is irreversible, the world will never be the same”, the Russian dictator said.

“And we are called by this history, by our faith to fight for historic Russia.

“For great, historic Russia, for future generations, for our children and grandchildren, we need to protect them from these experiments which aimed to break their soul and their consciousness.

“We are fighting for our culture, for our language so that it’s impossible to cancel it and remove it from history.”

Poland hits out at Putin following annexation of Ukraine

Poland’s Ministry of Defence has slammed Putin, following the annexation of four Ukrainian regions.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns in the strongest terms the illegal acts of ‘recognition of independence’ and ‘incorporation’ into the Russian Federation of parts of Ukraine’s regions of Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia,” a statement read.

No evidence to suggest Russia will use nukes, US reports

The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has said there is nothing to suggest Russia will use nukes “to date.”

“We are looking very carefully to see if Russia is actually doing anything that suggests that they are contemplating the use of nuclear weapons. To date, we’ve not seen them take these actions,” he said yesterday.

“But we also know that Russia is engaged in horrific, horrific brutalisation of Ukraine, and so the threats that they make, we take very seriously.”

Zelensky vows to liberate Ukraine

Following the formal annexation of 15% of his country yesterday, Zelensky vowed to liberate Ukraine.

He said: “The entire territory of our country will be liberated from this enemy – the enemy not only of Ukraine, but also of life itself, humanity, law and truth.

“Russia already knows this. It feels our power. It sees that it is here, in Ukraine, that we prove the strength of our values.”

In pictures: Russians celebrate as annexation is confirmed

Russians gathered in the Red Square yesterday to celebrate the formal annexation of four Ukrainian territories.

Annexation changes ‘nothing’, Ukrainian official says

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has dismissed today’s annexation, claiming it changes “nothing.”

“By attempting to annex Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, Putin tries to grab territories he doesn’t even physically control on the ground,” Dmytro Kuleba said.

“Nothing changes for Ukraine: we continue liberating our land and our people, restoring our territorial integrity.”